Social Supports for Abuse

Society in general holds certain attitudes about women and their proper roles. Some of these attitudes and stereotypes work in favor of abusers and against the women who are their victims. The following list describes some of the negative social attitudes and practices, as well as the abuser's actions that are supported by the stereotypes about women:

Negative Social Attitudes

Rigid stereotypes and roles for men and women

Women trained, by custom and sometimes by law, to be dependent on men

The Cinderella-and-Prince-Charming myth

Barriers to women in employment, government, leadership

The view that men ought to control money, jobs, all the family's major decisions

The family as an institution discourages any member from leaving or divorce